Need some help with vegan meal planning? In this post, I share strategies that have helped me get meals together easily and stay on track with my plant-based eating!

Ever get home, feel so tired from work and are starving…only to realize you don’t know what you’re having for dinner?

Maybe you try to whip something up but that doesn’t turn out well so you end up just ordering takeout anyway?

I’m with you, I’ve been there too (more often than I care to admit actually).  

Staying on Track with a Plan

The one thing that keeps me on my healthy path is meal planning. With vegan meal planning, I know what I’m eating and when I’m eating it so there are no bad decisions made when I’m tired. And with some vegan meal prep, it’s not as hard to get something healthy on the table quickly.

Will it take a little time on your part to get things planned and prepped? Hecks yeah, but it’s totally worth it. By taking some time on the weekends to get ready, the weekdays will be so much easier (and healthier) for you.

Today I’m going to share with you some meal planning tips that have helped me tremendously with having nutritious food throughout the week.

(Chocolate Cherry Balls – one of my favorite snacks to pre-make for the week!)

Vegan Meal Planning – The Basics

The first thing I do before anything else is to decide what I will be making. I take some time on Friday or Saturday so I’m all set when I go to the grocery store Sunday morning.  

I find recipe inspiration from:

• Cookbooks
• Blogs (like mine!)
• Pinterest (which is basically a blog search engine)
• Your own recipes that you can make vegan by adding more veggies or plant-based alternatives

When choosing recipes, I consider:

• The number of meals I will need – these may change weekly if you have after-work plans or are having leftovers from the night before
• What fruits and veggies are in season?
• What new recipes do I want to try?
• Foods that I already have in my kitchen that I may need to use up 
• Foods that might go bad faster than others (use those earlier in the week)
• Extras that will I need besides main meals. Think ingredients for salad dressings, snacks, etc.
• Which days do I have plans in the evening or after work? I will probably need quick meals those nights
• Does it have veggies, protein, carbs and some healthy fat (avocado, olive oil, nuts) for a nice whole meal? If not, what can I add to make it more balanced?

(my Buffalo Chick’n Skillet – made from my batch cooked grains)